About WHMA

The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association® (WHMA) was established in 1993 to serve and dedicate their resources to the global cable and wire harness industry. WHMA is the ONLY trade association exclusively representing the cable and wire harness manufacturing industry including manufacturers, their suppliers and customers.

WHMA Mission Statement

The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association is dedicated to providing our members the technical support, access to leading edge technology, benchmarking and the ability to network with the leaders in wire processing equipment, services and manufacturing.

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LEAD

By providing knowledge and best practices

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EDUCATE

By developing standards and distributing information

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CONNECT

By fostering relationships

HISTORY OF

The Wiring Harness Manufacturer’s Association (WHMA) was established in September of 1993 with nine (9) Board Members, and held WHMA’s Inaugural Conference in April of 1994 in conjunction with Contract Manufacturers Expo (CME) in Novi, MI. A general assembly meeting took place as well as technical and educational sessions. Tabletop displays presented by suppliers to the industry were well received by over 200 attendees.

The First Annual Convention was held September 25-27, 1994 at the Ramada O’Hare in Rosemont, IL was packed with activities and was very well attended. The schedule of events included a networking reception, committee meetings and presentations.

WHMA decided to hire a Chicago based management association to manage the WHMA organization and entitled them with the position of Executive Director. This organization worked with the WHMA association for over ten (10) years managing WHMA, and during this time period WHMA’s membership grew from 90 to 180 manufacturer / supplier total members.

Also, in 1994 the “Wiring Harness News” (WHN) of Richmond, IL launched as the only main wire harness / cable assembly industry journal. WHN partnered with WHMA to give WHMA members a free subscription of this very informative industry print magazine.

In the fall of 1998, WHMA signed MOU agreement with IPC of Northbrook, IL in developing a set of the industry wire harness / cable assembly standards & workmanships called the IPC/WHMA-A-620 Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness and Assemblies. These guidelines have been a very valuable asset to the WHMA members, and other industry companies especially in today’s world of standards as this document has evolved from an “A” to “D” level of revisions for certifications & training.

In January 2019, WHMA signed an Affiliation Agreement with IPC as the Executive Director to manage the WHMA organization and continue with the successful growth while creating more value of opportunities for members. In February 2023, at WHMA’s Annual Global Leadership Summit, the Board of Directors voted to become a council of IPC, further strengthening the relationship between WHMA and IPC.

Lastly, WHMA holds its Annual Global Leadership Summit each year in locations across the USA. The summit provides valuable industry discussions on best practices, networking events, roundtables, supplier exhibits & education sessions along with presentations from interesting keynote speakers. This opportunity provides you with an opportunity to learn, grow, share, and discover new approaches to many aspects of the wire harness industry.

WHMA and IPC

As part of WHMA’s objectives, WHMA has established an important partnership with IPC, who is a leading source for industry standards and training, to produce the only industry-consensus standard for Requirements and Acceptance of Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies, “The IPC/WHMA-A-620 Standard Revision E”.